Siegfried Fietz, one of the most influential figures in German-language Christian music, turned 80 on May 25, according to the German Christian publication Jesus.de.
Fietz is widely credited with shaping the "New Sacred Song" movement — known in German as Neues Geistliches Lied — and remains active in music and the arts decades after his career began.
He is best known internationally for his musical setting of a poem by Protestant theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Von guten Mächten wunderbar geborgen ("Wondrously Sheltered by Benevolent Powers"). Other compositions, including "God's Good Blessing Be with You" and "Sometimes You Need an Angel," have become staples in German-speaking congregations.
Born May 25, 1946, in the Siegerland region, Fietz grew up in a Christian household and developed an early interest in music, learning violin, then piano and organ. Before pursuing music full time, he trained as a metalworker and businessman and also passed a church music examination. By age 20, he was already working as a music producer for the Christian publishing house Hermann Schulte Wetzlar.
In 1974, Fietz and his wife founded Abakus, a music publishing company that remains a family business in Greifenstein-Allendorf today. Germany's performing rights society, GEMA, credits him with more than 4,500 compositions. His catalog spans roughly 250 recordings, ranging from choral and congregational works to pop oratorios on biblical figures — including Paul, David, Peter and Mary — as well as a production on Martin Luther and recordings for children.
Among his more unusual projects, Jesus.de reported, was the "Space Symphony," developed in collaboration with Apollo 15 astronaut James Irwin. His other collaborators over the years have included gospel artist Edwin Hawkins, and entertainer Petula Clark, as well as Coretta Scott King.
From 1986 to 1996, Fietz hosted a radio program called "Songs Between Heaven and Earth" on Hessischer Rundfunk, which at times drew up to 150,000 listeners, according to Jesus.de.
Now 80, Fietz shows no sign of slowing down. He continues to give concerts, often alongside his son Oliver. He marked his birthday with a concert at his sculpture park in Allendorf, where he also works as a sculptor.
